Top 15 Questions from the COR Passover Hotline (2018)

COR is pleased to answer questions from kosher
consumers throughout the year. This service is especially popular during the
weeks leading up to Passover, as is evidenced by the over 10,000 questions answered
last year prior to Passover.

This COR Passover magazine can be used as a reference guide
for much of the information that is needed during Passover. However, many
questions do come up and we are here to answer them. To contact us, call the
COR Passover Hotline at (416)635-9550 ext. 100 or email us at questions@cor.ca. You can also use our
Text-A-Question service by texting your question to (647)402-1910 for yes/no
questions.

Here is a list of the more frequently asked questions
from Passover 2017:

1. Does sugar require Kosher for Passover (KFP) certification?
Answer: Regular white sugar does not require Passover certification.
However, some companies will re-pack sugar using the same filling machines as
other products and there might be cross contamination. Therefore, avoiding plastic containers and sugar from discount
retailers (such as Dollarama) is recommended as these are likely to have been
packed by third party companies. So to clarify:

1.
2 Kilo and
industrial sugar - No Passover Certification Required

2.
Avoid plastic containers and sugar from discount
retailers (such as Dollarama) as these are likely to have been packed by third
party companies

3.
For the
following Redpath products – No Passover Certification is Required:

a.
Redpath
sugar packets

b.
Redpath
sugar cubes (white and brown)

c.
Redpath
Dark and Light Brown Sugar, Golden and Light Yellow Sugar

4.
Redpath Demerara is NOT kosher for Passover

2. May extra virgin olive oil be purchased without
certification? Answer: NO. We recently became aware of reports claiming that much of
what is being sold as extra virgin olive oil is actually diluted with lower
grade olive oil, sunflower, or canola oil. Indeed, an industry expert stated
that “75-80% of the oil sold in the U.S. does not meet the legal grades for
extra-virgin oil.” We are currently conducting a comprehensive study of the
matter together with the Canadian Food and Wine Institute at Niagara College.
We will share the results as soon as we have conclusive evidence. In the
meantime, we can only recommend extra virgin olive oil that carries Passover
certification.

3. Do lemon or lime juice products require KFP
certification?Answer: YES. But ReaLemon, Lemon juice, and ReaLime Lime juice certified
by the OU are acceptable for use on Passover even without KFP certification.

4. Does toothpaste need to be chametz free? Answer: Since toothpaste is used orally, it should be chametz free. All Colgate and Sensodyne
toothpastes are chametz free.

5. Do sliced raw mushrooms need KFP certification? Answer: NO

6. Do spray & liquid deodorant, hairspray and perfume
need to be chametz free?Answer: Since it is theoretically possible to distil alcohol found in these
products and restore the alcohol to an edible state, they should be chametz free. The same applies to dry
shampoo. All stick deodorants, however, are acceptable.

7. Which alcohols that are found in personal care
products are problematic on Pesach and which are not?

Answer: Alcohol that contains chametz
could be referred to in any of the following ways:

b. Decaffeinated coffee: Coffee is often decaffeinated by
means of ethyl acetate, which is derived from either kitniyot or chametz.
Therefore, decaffeinated coffees are not acceptable without Passover
certification.

c. All flavoured coffee requires Passover certification.

d. Instant coffees often contain maltodextrin, which is
derived from either kitniyot or chametz. Therefore, all instant coffees
require Passover certification. Nescafe Taster’s Choice and Folgers Instant
Coffee are acceptable even without Passover certification. Please note: Nescafe Rich Instant Coffee is
not acceptable for use on Passover the two products do look similar (see
below).

10. Can I purchase a cup of black coffee at a non-kosher
establishment such as Starbucks or Tim Horton’s? Answer: Definitely not. These establishments bake items such as muffins
and donuts which are chametz and as
such all of the utensils used are chametz.

11. What medications are recommended for children during
Passover?

Answer: The following are both acceptable on Passover and do
not contain non-kosher ingredients: